Tiled wall construction



H. RITHNER \TILED WALL CONSTRUCTION Oct. 4, 1932.

Filed July 9, 1931 AT rur m wr Patented Oct. 4, 1932 1,880,282

UNITEDSTA'TES PATENT OFFICE HENRY RITHNER, OEWELLSIBURG, WEST VIRGINIATILED WALL CONSTRUCTION Application filed July 9, 1931. Serial No.549,592.

This invention relates broadly to wall or lengths, as, preferably, fromfour to ten structures, and it has for its primary object to feet. Eachof said strips, which are mounted provide an improved and practicaltiled wall in edge to edge abutting relation, ismade of constructionadapted for use in buildings and shallow trough-like, or' channel, formand embodying, in association with a supporting comprises asubstantially flat body and outstructure, a rigidly mounted backing anda wardly directed longitudinal edge portions f. tile facing, said facingbeing secured in place or flanges 5, the latter having materially lessupon said backing without the use of cewidth than the thickness of thetiles and bement or other material subject to injury by ing inclinedvery slightly toward each other, 20 or through the natural forces ofexpansion thereby to render the channel of slightly and contraction.greater width at its bottom than at its open A further objectis toprovide, in a. wall side. construction of the character mentioned, anThe angles 6 formed between the flanges improved form of metal backing,as also an and the body of the strip 3, instead of being improved formof tile, said forms being such abrupt, possess a. regular curvature,substanthat the tile may be introduced directly to tially as shown, suchcurvature being deseated position on the backing rather than by signedsubstantially to correspond with that endwise introduction and slidingmovement of the outer seating edges of the tiles 4. relative to theseating channels of said back- Said tiles, formed of molded vitreous ma-Z0 ing. terial, preferably glass, which may be prO- In describing theinvention in detail, refervided in various colors and color effects, are

ence is herein had to the accompanying drawmade of rectangular shapewith a hollow, or

ing, in which socketed, back, thereby not only to decrease Figure 1 is afront elevation of a fragmenthe quantity of material required in theirtary portion of a wall embodying my invenmanufacture and, consequently,to reduce the tion; weight of the facing composed thereof, but

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Fig. 1; also to provide asocket-enclosing marginal Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevation of arib 7 of relatively small thickness designed to tile and a portion of abacking strip on which seat upon the flat body of the strip 3.

a; said tile is mounted; The edges of the. tiles have their surfaces soFigure 4 is a section on line 44, Fig. 3, disposed at right angles tothe faces therof 7 showing the tile in its fully seated position;instead of being inclined to correspond suh- Figure 5 is a similarsection showing the stantially with the inclinations ,of the flangestile in entering position 5 of the backing strips 3. Thus, in theirFigure 6 is an enlarged face view of a backseated positions the tileshave their upper ing strip; andand lower edges tightly gripped and fric-Figure 7 is a section of the same on line tionally held by the flanges 5instead of oc- 7 7, Fig. 6. cupying dovetail relation to said strips.Due Referring to said drawing, 1 designates to the relatively smallwidth of the flanges .0 each of a plurality of upright-wall studs disascompared with the thickness of the tiles, posed, as ordinarily, insuitably spaced relasaid flanges terminate in a plane located rear tion.Rigidly attached to said studs, as by Wardly from that of the faces ofthe tiles and, nails 2, is a backing composed of a pluralityconsequently, said flanges are whollycovered of horizontally disposednarrow strips 3 of and concealed by the applied plastic mate- I =5 lightgauge resilient sheet metal, preferably rial 8 employed in closing thejoints between galvanized iron or steel. adjacent tiles.

Said strips 3, which are made of a width The seating rib 7 of each tilehas 1ts outer to correspond substantially with at least one terminaledge shaped to form a curved or dimension of the tiles 4 which they areto rounded nose 9, as shown. Thus, in intro- 50 carry, may be providedin any suitable length ducing the tiles Within the channels of the 166by seating its lower edge upon the lowermost of the flanges 5 of thestrip, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing, and then by forcibly "pressingthe tile inwardly against the resistance offered by said resilientflanges due to their relative inclinations. The tile is thus sprung intoplace with the upper of said flanges riding upon the thereby engagedrounded nose 9, and, when in fully seated position, said flanges havebecome spread to the extent that they occupy positions approximately, ifnot wholly, at right angles to the flat body of the backing strip, and,therefore, in flat-seating frictional engagement with the top and bottomedges of the tile.

Adjoining tiles carried by each strip are spaced apart a distancecorresponding to that between tiles carried by adjacent strips,

thereby to render all joints of even or uni-g form width. Said jointsare filled, as ordinarily,with a suitable plastic or cemcntitiousmaterial 8, as shown, to give the structure an even, smooth and sanitaryfinish. The tiles may be shifted laterally, as may be required, fromtheir initial entered positions to final positions properly spacedrelative to adjacent tiles.

It is to be noted that the tiles are in no wise affected by expansionand contraction of materials, which, in the case of tiles embedded inthe usual cement base, results in the creation of cracks, fractures andlike injury.

Furthermore, it will be understood that, should one or more tiles becomebroken, cracked, chipped, or otherwise injured, they may readily beremoved, as by means of a suitable form of pointed or edged tool, andnew tiles substituted therefor, introduction being effected in themanner hereinbefore described and without disturbing adjacent uninjuredtiles.

The tiled construction herein described, whilev designed particularlyfor use in the walls of bath rooms, kitchens and the like, may likewisebe employed in floors and ceilings, as also in other places andstructures in which surfaces readily maintainable in a sanitarycondition are desirable.

What is claimed is 1. In a tiled construction, the combination with asupporting structure, of a backing carried by said structure, saidbacking consisting of a plurality of independent channellike strips ofresilient sheet metal arranged in parallel relation, each stripincluding longitudinal edge flanges normally occupying convergentlyinclined relation the flanges of adjacent strips being engaged with eachother and a plurality of molded tiles seated in the channel of eachstrip with opposite edges thereof yieldingly grlpped by said flanges,each tile having its said edges disposed substantially at right anglesto its face and holding the therewith engaged flanges outwardly sprunginto approximately parallel planes.

2. In a tiled construction, the combination with a supporting structure,of a backing carried by said structure, said backing consisting of aplurality of independent channel-like strips of resilient sheetmetalarranged in parallel relation, each strip includng longitudinal edgeflanges normally occupying convergently inclined relation the flanges ofadjacent strips being engaged with each other, and a plurality of moldedtiles seated in the channel of each strip with opposite edges thereofyieldingly gripped by said flanges, each tile havingits said edges,except a portion thereof located at and adjacent to the junction of saidedges with its seat-ing surface, disposed substantially at right anglesto its faces and holding the therewith engaged flanges outwardly sprunginto approximately parallel planes, said junction portion being curvedto form a rounded entering nose.

3. In a tiled construction, the combination with a supporting structure,of a backing carried by said structure, said backing consisting-of aplurality of independent channel-like strips of resilient sheet metalarranged in parallel abutting relation, each strip includinglongitudinal edge flanges normally occupyingconvergently inclinedrelation the flanges of adjacent strips being engaged with each other,and a plurality of molded tiles seated in the channel of each strip withopposite edges thereof yieldingly gripped by said flanges, each tilehaving its rear face enclosed by a marginal seating rib which is curvedto form a rounded entering nose.

4. In a tiled construction, the combination with a supporting structure,of a backing carried by said structure, said backing consisting of aplurality of independent channel-like strips ,of resilient sheet metalarranged in parallel abutting relation, each strip includinglongitudinal edge flanges normally occupying convergently inclinedrelation the flanges of adj acent'strips being engaged with each other,and a plurality of molded tiles seated in the channel of each strip withopposite edges thereof yieldingly gripped by said flanges, each tilehaving its rear face enclosed by a marginal seating rib which is curvedto form a. rounded entering nose, the said edges of each tile, except atsaid nose, being disposed substantially at right angles to its face andholding the therewith engaged strip flanges outwardly spread inapproximately parallel planes.

I In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

' HENRY RITHNER.

